Addressing the pharmacist shortage through a cooperative internship program for foreign pharmacy graduates

To describe the Latin American Pharmacist Internship Program, a pilot project to prepare foreign-trained pharmacists for pharmacy licensure in the United States.

Two schools of pharmacy (located in Arequipa, Perú, and Boston, Mass.) and a chain pharmacy in the Greater Boston area.

Didactic/experiential pharmacy completion program. PRACTICE INNOVATION/INTERVENTIONS: Three distinct phases combining didactic courses delivered at two schools of pharmacy with supervised experiential training in a community pharmacy setting.

Completion of the program requirements for licensure in the United States within 1 year by 15 licensed Peruvian pharmacists who participated in a pilot project.

As of June 30, 2006, nine interns from the original group had received a pharmacy license in the United States and one was awaiting results of the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination. Three returned to Perú, and two continued to work as pharmacy interns while working toward completion of the requirements for licensure.

For the Latin American Pharmacist Internship Program to be successful, these results show that the following components should be incorporated: (1) admission criteria should include a Test of English as a Foreign Language score of 550 or more and a Test of Spoken English score of 50 or more (or the equivalent Internet-based Test scores required by National Association of Boards of Pharmacy), (2) admission should be open to all qualified candidates from around the world, (3) the program's timeline for completion should be extended to 18 months, (4) interns should receive more instruction in assertiveness and U.S. employment practices, and (5) preceptors should receive additional training in culturally sensitive supervisory techniques.